NHL Off-season Thread

[Ninot]

I feel bad for those teams.

I also feel bad for NJ, having 9 games on the road to start.

[cinch]

According to sportsnet.ca, the Oilers just signed Souray.

[cinch]

So this means we can have nice Hemsky-to-Pitkane-to-Souray-GOAL moments on the PP... But we're also going to have "Here come Staios and Smid, the Oilers' big shut-down pair" on the PK. Which is scary-sad.

Still, at this point, something's better than nothing. I'd expect Souray to have good numbers, but not like last year--say, 15 goals, 40 points. He'll be deep, deep, deep in the minus, though. Throwing some cash at Danny Markov might still be not a bad idea. Even if it turns out we're paying Souray something ridiculous, like 6m+, we'll still have tonnes of cash. (This might come back to haunt us next year, of course...)

Poor Tarnstrom, though.

[cinch]

5 yrs, 27 mil. Too much, yes--but at least it's not 6!

Now let's overpay Markov and Anson Carter! And probably another forward to be determined.

[notyoueither]

Oilers 2007-08 1st unit PP

Pitkanen-Hemsky-Grebeshkov
Tarnstrom-Souray

[notyoueither]

Sutter Prepares to Apply for Unemployment

[notyoueither]

Lowe Not Done Yet

Oilers tender offer sheet to Ducks' Penner
TSN.ca Staff

7/26/2007 7:00:58 PM

The Edmonton Oilers are back at it again, tendering a five year, $21.25 million offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks Group II restricted free agent Dustin Penner.

The Ducks have seven days to match Edmonton's offer. Should the Ducks decide not to match, the compensation from the Oilers would be a first-round draft pick, a second-round pick and a third-round pick.

...

[Kontiki]

Well, I guess that's that, then.

Predators look set to stay put
DAVID NAYLOR

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

July 31, 2007 at 11:47 PM EDT

It appears the Nashville Predators will be staying in the Tennessee capital after all.

A group of Nashville investors is expected to announce today that it has signed a letter of intent to purchase the nine-year franchise from owner Craig Leipold for between $175-million (all figures U.S.) and $190-million, according to a source familiar with the deal.

The group, which consists of a half dozen local businessmen, hopes to have a binding agreement by mid-August, allowing for approval by the NHL board of governors and change of ownership before next season starts.

"We're getting close," Herb Fritch, CEO of Healthspring Inc. and a member of the local ownership group, said yesterday. "Right now it's moving right along. The time frame is pretty short to get a deal done before the start of the season, but I think that's what everyone is striving for."

Today's anticipated announcement is the latest twist in a saga that began in February when Mr. Leipold entered talks with Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, the co-chief executive officer of Research In Motion. Roughly three months later, Mr. Leipold announced he'd signed a letter of intent to sell his team to Mr. Balsillie for a reported $238-million.

But talks broke off without a binding deal in late June after the National Hockey League refused to consider Mr. Balsillie's application to relocate the franchise to Hamilton, arguing it couldn't do so while the team had a valid lease in Nashville.

That lease states the Predators are bound to the Sommet Centre unless the team averages fewer than 14,000 fans a game in consecutive seasons.

Last season, with one of the best teams in hockey, the Predators averaged just 13,815, a figure many presumed would decrease this season because the team has spent the summer shedding payroll.

However, a group of local businessmen, not associated with the group that is purchasing the team, rallied new ticket sales to the point where 14,000 fans a game during the 2007-08 season looks like a realistic target.

The Predators have sold roughly 2,000 new season-ticket subscriptions, bringing their overall total to about 8,900. That's slightly higher than the final season-ticket number of a year ago. But with the club's major push still to come, it's now widely assumed that the 14,000-fans-a-game target will be achieved.

"Our whole focus has been to raise awareness in the community that if we sold enough tickets, it ensures we keep that lease," said Ron Samuels, CEO of Avenue Bank, who helped organize a ticket rally on July 19 that sold 800 season tickets in one day. "There is a strong fan base here. It's just that after the lockout a lot of people reduced what they were doing and we never got it back. It's very exciting to see Nashville step up, and we think we had something to do with raising awareness, getting people out and finding new leads."

The revived support not only diminished Mr. Balsillie's chances of re-entering the picture, but it also cut out William (Boots) Del Biaggio, who had offered $190-million with the intent to move the team to Kansas City.

Mr. Leipold and representatives of the local ownership group met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on July 18 in New York.

Richard Rodier, Mr. Balsillie's lawyer, had no comment on the prospect of the local group's anticipated announcement today.

This is the second time Mr. Balsillie has been left at the altar in his attempt to purchase an NHL team. Last fall, his $175-million offer to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins also fell apart when he and the NHL couldn't agree on terms that would allow him to move the team.

Whether he'll be back for a third try is an interesting question. The NHL has made no secret of its disdain for the way Mr. Balsillie aggressively pursued relocating the Predators to Hamilton this spring. Meanwhile, Mr. Rodier has publicly accused Mr. Bettman of scuttling the deal because of his anti-Canadian bias.

Others in hockey circles are convinced Mr. Balsillie's Hamilton deal died because the NHL is wary of a legal fight over territorial rights that might come from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs.

While the Predators won't be moving any time soon, its new owners will have a significant challenge ahead of them.

Mr. Leipold has apparently lost $70-million over 10 years, including $27-million in the two seasons since the NHL lockout ended.

The local ownership group isn't sure it can ever break even on hockey business. But it believes there are other ways to cut the losses on the arena management side of the business.

The group is also negotiating for a fixed annual contribution from the City of Nashville of roughly $5-million.

"We realize we can't say we can absolutely make a profit on it and there's a risk that more capital will be needed," Mr. Fritch said. "We have some discussions going on about some changes to the lease agreement. Those are still ongoing. In Craig's deal, he didn't have any downside losses [on arena management], but he didn't have any upside. One of the aspects we're trying to change is to have the chance to benefit from better management of the arena … Then any additional losses we would eat and any revenue we keep."

I guess all 5000 Nashville fans can now enjoy their gutted team.

[notyoueither]

I think it's good news. I'm happy for hockey fans in Nashville.

[Jonny]

We're happy too. Having witnessed local interest in hockey grow rapidly from virtually nil over the past years, I think that given 5 or so more seasons, the team will become financially viable... but will the new owners be so patient?

Yea, the team was gutted a bit, but we still play in the Central Division... (though the other teams not named Detroit might actually be good this year)

[notyoueither]

Alberta Bound

Ducks decline offer sheet for Penner
TSN.ca Staff with files from CP
8/2/2007 7:27:50 PM

The Anaheim Ducks have declined to match the Edmonton Oilers' five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet for winger Dustin Penner.

As a result, Penner becomes property of the Oilers while the Ducks receive the Oilers' first, second and third round picks as compensation.

"I have not (called him) and I don't plan on it," Lowe said on a conference call. "I have one responsibility and one responsibility only - and that's to the Edmonton Oilers fans and the Edmonton Oilers ownership.

"I'm not in the business of trying to make friends. Never have, never will be."

...

Good thing Kevin.

Quite the balls out move for the Oilers. Either turn out really bad (Oilers finish in the bottom five and 'win' the lottery thus handing the Ducks the 1st overall pick) or really good (Penner turns into an elite winger and the last few years of the contract are bargain. Both could happen.

[notyoueither]

Interesting idea being kicked around the French Football league and how it could be adapted to the NHL.

0 points for a loss
1 point for draw at the end of RT (or OT loss)
2 points for a win by 1 goal (or OT win)
3 points for a win by 2 or more goals by the end of RT.

[snoopy369]

So teams will stop pulling the goalie when down by one against a close rival in the standings, and conversely teams will start driving up the score?

The latter sounds good for hockey but the former not so much. Do you really need to give teams up by 1 an incentive to hit in that second goal?

[Ninot]

I'm sticking to my guns, not that it matters

2 for a win, 0 for a loss.

We don't have ties, we don't need 1 point for anything.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by snoopy369
So teams will stop pulling the goalie when down by one against a close rival in the standings, and conversely teams will start driving up the score?

The latter sounds good for hockey but the former not so much. Do you really need to give teams up by 1 an incentive to hit in that second goal?

Yes, there would be more strategy to pulling the goalie in a limited set of circumstances.

OTOH 3 points would encourage the assembly of offensive teams overall and scoring in every game.

Defence is the easiest thing to train for and implement. Offence could be encouraged more.

Originally posted by Ninot
I'm sticking to my guns, not that it matters

2 for a win, 0 for a loss.

We don't have ties, we don't need 1 point for anything.

That's another approach, but the 1 point for end of RT tie is a long held tradition. Some will argue you should get your reward for it.